Erling Haaland has become one of the best strikers in the world in recent years and is preparing to complete an official transfer to join Premier League champions Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund this summer.
At just 21 years old, Haaland has racked up over 150 career goals and is set to become the highest paid player in the Premier League, where he will follow in the footsteps of his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, by joining the blue side of Manchester.
But who exactly is the Norwegian international’s father? Here is all you need to know about the former professional footballer and the man who paved the way for Haaland’s Man City transfer.
Who is Erling Haaland’s father?
Alf-Inge Haaland, aka Alfie Haaland, is the father of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland and is a Norwegian former professional footballer who notably played in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Man City for 10 years between 1993-2003, as well as the Norway national football team.
Born on November 23, 1972 in Stavanger, Norway, Alfie joined Byrne FK’s youth set up in 1979, before making his professional debut 10 years later. He operated as a right back and could play in midfield during his career, although it sadly ended in 2003 after an infamous tackle by Manchester United legend Roy Keane.
Haaland is also the uncle to Albert Tjåland, who plays as a striker for Bryne in the Norwegian First Division and has already been likened to his cousin, Erling, at the age of just 18-years-old following equally impressive goalscoring heroics at youth level.
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Who did Alfie Haaland play for?
After starting his career out in his homeland with Bryne, Haaland moved to First Division side Nottingham Forest in 1993, where he went on to score seven goals in 90 appearances for the club as they reached the Premier League in his first season and maintained their position in the top flight over the next three campaigns.
In 1997, he joined fellow Premier League side Leeds, where he spent three seasons playing for the club and racked up a further eight goals in 92 appearances, of which seven came in his first campaign in Yorkshire. In his final season at Elland Road, he helped the Whites reach the UEFA Cup semi-final and qualify for the Champions League.
Following that campaign, Haaland then joined another Premier League side in Man City in 2000 for a fee of £2.5 million, where he made 43 appearances and scored three goals in his first campaign. Due to injury, he made just four appearances the following season, before he was eventually forced to retire. Haaland also made 43 appearances for Norway and was named in their squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, playing against Mexico and Italy.
Rivalry with Roy Keane
Haaland built up quite the rivalry with Man Utd midfielder Roy Keane during his Premier League playing days, which all began when he was playing for Leeds in September 1997. As the pair were running for the ball, Keane injured his anterior cruciate ligament and was stretchered off the field, which put him out of action for nearly a year afterward.
However, Haaland had stood over Keane and criticised him for feigning the injury to try to gain a penalty, although he was unaware of the severity of the problem, and was subsequently booked. Almost four years later, Keane got his revenge on Haaland by tackling him and kicking him high on his right knee, for which he was immediately sent off and fined £5,000.
In Keane's autobiography, published a year later, he admitted that the tackle was a pre-meditated, deliberate act of vengeance for their initial clash in 1997, but this saw him receive an additional five-game ban and a £150,000 fine for bringing the sport into disrepute following an enquiry from the FA. However, Haaland admitted that the tackle from Keane was not the reason for the injury that ultimately ended his career.
Where is he now?
Haaland rejoined his boyhood club, Bryne, as a director in 2015, but has since overseen Erling’s progression into one of the finest strikers and young talents in world football. When the Borussia Dortmund striker joined from Red Bull Salzburg in 2020, his father was a big influence on him choosing to join the Bundesliga outfit.
The 49-year-old believed that the German club was the best fit for his son and would provide him with the best pathway for progressing his career, over other suitors such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
And following his confirmed move to Man City in the summer, Haaland's father had favoured a move to the Etihad Stadium amongst the options available to his son this summer, as well as the fact that Erling remains a boyhood fan following Alf-Inge’s affiliation with the Citizens.
